"I'M DISAPPOINTED": DALE EARNHARDT JR. ON FAN-FAVORITE NASCAR TRACK BEING POTENTIALLY DROPPED

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts on the rumors about Homestead potentially being ousted from the 2025 NASCAR playoffs lineup. While he's open to the idea of other tracks getting a shot at playoff action, he holds a soft spot for the traditional setup that crowned champions at Homestead.

The talk around the NASCAR schedule intensified on June 23, thanks to insights from Jordan Bianchi on The Teardown podcast. One of the hot topics was this season's swap between Darlington Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, it appears the change won't stick around for long. According to Atlanta's official website, its second race date is set to shift to June 28, transforming into a Saturday night spectacle.

Darlington Raceway is likely to reclaim its spot on the traditional Labor Day weekend as part of the NASCAR playoffs, a move that has been a hit with fans since it began in 2020. Jordan Bianchi shared insights suggesting that Homestead's only race date is slated to shift to March. The rationale appears to be NASCAR's intent to secure a warm-weather race early in the season, particularly with no race planned in Fontana, California.

Historically, the 1.5-mile track at Homestead has seen a strong showing from Chevrolet and Toyota, with Ford not securing a win there since 2011. Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his disappointment over the change, lamenting the possible news that Homestead might no longer be a playoff venue despite the strategic reshuffling.

He said:

"I'm disappointed about Homestead leaving the playoffs. We ran Homestead years ago early in the season. It was weird, after having the season finale there for so so long. It just doesn't feel right to put it anywhere else in the season.

You know, there's a lot of rumor and speculation about it coming back to the finale. So, if it ends up being the finale, I'm okay with it sticking it in March or somewhere for a year. Maybe that's sort of the trade off."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he would trade Charlotte over Homestead in the 2025 playoff schedule.

During the podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. faced a hypothetical choice between three racing scenarios: maintaining Homestead in the playoffs, switching from the Roval to the Charlotte oval for the fall race, or granting North Wilkesboro a points race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his preferences clearly, placing North Wilkesboro's points race as his top priority. He supported moving away from the Roval at Charlotte and maintained that while Homestead is exciting at any time of the year, it performs the best in the playoffs and can make for a fantastic season finale.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. noted:

"Homestead is fun wherever we race it in the year. I believe it belongs in the playoffs. It's a great finale. Is it the only track we can have the season finale at? No! But it was a great one and going back to that will be fun if that's what happens." [at 3:05]

Discussions might continue, but nothing is set in stone yet concerning Homestead's future schedule. Were it to be shifted to March and thus lose its spot as a title contender in 2026, it seems that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be less than happy.

2024-06-28T12:57:38Z dg43tfdfdgfd